A portable computer system typically includes a self-contained portable computer unit that includes a processor, memory and a video display, and typically operates under battery power. As used herein, the term “portable computer unit” broadly refers to any computer system that is small enough to be carried easily by a user. The portable computer unit may be called by any number of names, including a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a sub-notebook computer, a hand-held computer, a palmtop computer, a pocket computer, and a notepad computer. The portable computer system also typically includes a docking station to which the portable computer unit may connect in order to access various services and functionality usually only available to desktop computer systems, including access to network adapters and peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners and large external monitors. The portable computer unit typically connects to the docking station through mating socket-type connections.
The portable computer unit typically includes a display adapter. As used herein the term “display adapter” refers broadly to a hardware device that converts images created in a computer to the electronic signals required by a display device. Other terms that have been used to refer to a display adapter include graphics adapter, graphics board, graphics card, graphics controller, video display adapter, video display board, video display card, video display controller, video adapter, video board, video card, video controller, display board, display card, display controller, VGA adapter, VGA board, VGA card and VGA controller. When the portable computer unit is “undocked” (i.e., not connected to the docking station), the video adapter may be used to control the display of graphics on the local video display of the portable computer unit. When the portable computer unit is “docked” (i.e., connected to the docking station), the video adapter may be used to control the display of graphics on an external monitor that is connected to the docking station.